Prospect Talent Score

Probability of Success

History

2002-03: Played for the New England Coyotes of the EJHL Led the EJHL in scoring in with 58 points (28 goals, 30 assists) Earned EJHL Offensive Player of the Year Award and league MVP honors and was also named the MVP of the Top Prospects Tournament in 2002. Earned Hockey Night In Boston Junior Player of the Year.

2003-04: Selected to the U.S. National Junior Team Evaluation Camp (August 2003) but did not make WJC team. Named to the Hockey East All-Rookie Team.

2004-05: His sophomore season with the Friars was interrupted by a knee injury but before that occurred he was a point per game player and the go-to guy in Providence’s line up. Upon his return, Providence experienced a late season run after not winning a game in his absence. In the playoffs, McDonald played center.

2005-06: Statistically his best college year, new head coach Tim Army allowed the club to open up more offensively which played to McDonald’s strengths. Appeared at Edmonton’s prospect camp in the middle of June.2006-07: In his final season with Providence College, McDonald tallied 13 goals and 17 points in 36 games. He finished with 43 goals and 77 points in 135 games as a Friar.

2007-08: This marked McDonald’s first season of professional hockey, which he spent with the Springfield Falcons (AHL). In 73 games, he recorded 12 goals and 23 points, along with 46 minutes in penalties.

Talent Analysis

McDonald has good physical skills and a deadly accurate shot but he needs to get himself into better position to use the shot more effectively. He is strong and aggressive down low and in the corners, goes hard to the net and brings a positive work ethic and energy to the table. However, he wasn’t supposed to be an energy player as a pro, he’s supposed to be a scorer. Another high character person, well-spoken and charismatic personality; very Jarret Stoll-like.

Future

A critical year coming up for McDonald as it’s the last of his entry-level contract. He was a jack-of-all-trades for the Falcons last season but has to establish himself as a top-six player in the AHL this year.

The SHL often features a plethora of NHL-drafted forwards who play an important role for their team. This year, two of those forwards, namely Andreas Johnson (TOR) and Lucas Wallmark (CAR), have been absolutely key contributors. Johnson actually finished sixth overall in league scoring and continued adding to his point collection in the playoffs. The playoffs also were a showcase for Wallmark who, after just eight goals in the regular season, scored seven in nine postseason contests. Read more»

Photo: Lake Erie Monsters goaltender and Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Joonas Korpisalo was a top performer for the Monsters in their opening round sweep of the Rockford IceHogs in the 2016 AHL playoffs (courtesy of Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire)

Four teams remain in the AHL Western Conference playoff race that kicks off Thursday in California and in Cleveland.

The two matchups feature teams that met several times in the 2015-16 season, so both series could potentially go the full seven games. Read more»

Photo: Nashville Predators prospect Vladislav Kamenev quietly had a terrific rookie campaign as a teenager in the AHL, with 37 points in 57 games (courtesy of Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire)

Following the Nashville Predators’ Game 7 win over the Anaheim Ducks in the opening round of the NHL playoffs, Nashville goalie Pekka Rinne talked about how the team won with a mix of experienced “old guys” and some exciting and talented younger players. The Predators have some fairly prominent prospects on the way as well. But it is looking more and more likely that their Prospect of the Year in 2015-16 may never wear a gold and navy uniform. Read more»

Photo: Erie Otters forward and 2016 prospect Alex DeBrincat was second in scoring for the Otters in the 2016 OHL playoffs, scoring eight goals and 19 points in 13 games (courtesy of Terry Wilson/OHL Images)

Back-to-back 100-point seasons, two lengthy playoff runs in the ever-tough OHL, and an OHL Rookie of the Year award under his belt – but the one thing that Erie Otters’ forward Alex DeBrincat doesn’t have is prototypical size. Read more»

Photo: Barrie Colts defenseman and Calgary Flames prospect Rasmus Andersson had a productive 2016 playoff, posting two goals and 15 points in 15 games for the Colts (courtesy of Terry Wilson/OHL Images)

While the elite quality of OHL defensemen from the 2015-16 season may not resemble the ranks of the past – or even what we are likely to see next season – there is a solid roster of depth defensemen that can bring some quality and value to NHL ranks. Read more»